


Aged Chocolate

by Connory



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 23:10:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17948954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Connory/pseuds/Connory
Summary: When Sayo accidentally eavesdrops on someone playing the guitar, it becomes the start of something she will never give up on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tadano Yuuto is just the "New Staff." I actually intended to not give him a name at first, but making the conversations flow without Sayo saying a name even once was incredibly awkward. I tried having it as New Staff-san or ______-san when I was doing the first part, but it looked so damn stupid, so I gave him a really basic name.
> 
> end notes are at the end of chapter 8.

“Oh, Hikawa-san, you're still here?”

The teal-haired girl heard him call out to her, but she chose not to move her gaze which was currently set on the floor. She knew that he would inevitably come to her, whether or not she turned her attention to him. His shoes came into her vision, he stopped and stood in front of her.

“The other Roselia members went outside already, aren't you going home with them?”

Hikawa Sayo kept staring at the tiled flooring. Thinking that the girl was genuinely unaware of him, the man checked her ears if she was listening to music, since some musicians tend to lose themselves in thought when concentrating hard on a song. However, she was not wearing any earphones. She was not sleeping as well, since her beautiful green eyes were visible.

‘Is she brooding over something? I don't think it's about the performance, she was great as always.’

Stumped on what could be troubling her, he decided to just ask the person herself.

“Uhh,” he clumsily started, “Hikawa-san?”

The girl finally gave a reaction, she lifted her head and met his eyes, although it slightly made him uncomfortable because of how intensely she was looking at him. Her gaze felt like it could bore a hole into his head.

Her lips parted slightly, closed back, then opened fully to say, “Tadano-san.”

“Yes?”

In response to Sayo's serious tone, Tadano Yuuto swallowed some saliva out of nervousness.

‘Wait, was it something I did?’

Remembering the first time he was chewed out by the perfectionist, he immediately rummaged through his memories and double-checked whether everything relevant to the performance was prepared properly. Knowing what exactly he did wrong and apologizing for it is the key to earning forgiveness.

“A favor…” she interrupted his contemplation, “can you walk me home?”

“Yes, of cou-...” he stopped, his brow became knitted. “Yes?”

For him, it became a conditioned reflex to answer positively to her when she was asking for something, since most of her requests were regarding gigs or the band's equipment, and they were always well-thought-out. 

Sayo's request just now was a curveball to him for a reason. Although polite, she had always taken an imperative tone with him, like, ‘Tadano-san, please come with us tomorrow,’ but this time she no longer sounded like she was giving him a command. The request itself was a first as well.

“Is that… a no?”

“Ah, no- I mean, yes, I'll gladly walk you home.”  
_____

The journey to the Hikawa residence was silent and uneventful. The image he had of Sayo was dauntless and didn't mind going home alone after separating from the Roselia members, so the reason would not be anything like she was scared. She was always goal-oriented and had clear intentions whenever she did something, so if she herself decided that the rationale for accompanying her tonight wasn't important enough to tell him, he would not needlessly grill her about it.

They stopped at the front of the gate of her home.

“Well then, Hikawa-san, I'll be-”

“Wait.”

Yuuto was going to lightly bow his head in farewell, but Sayo cut him off. It was taking her a bit of time to say her piece, her eyes wandering and looking at different parts of the pavement, but he patiently waited for her without complaining.

“Did you…” Sayo paused for a bit before continuing, “have anything scheduled for tomorrow?”

“For the band? Uh-”

“No, not for us,” she shook her head. “I meant your own schedule. Will you be busy?”

Yuuto was reaching to get his organizer for everything related to Roselia, but Sayo cleared up his misunderstanding. Thinking, his hand formed a closed fist and hovered in front of his mouth.

“Hmm,” he spent a brief moment to go over his preexisting commitments, “not really, no, I don't have anything planned for tomorrow.”

‘This pattern…’

As he played some visual novels in his spare time, he had gained some specific knowledge about certain things, and that knowledge told him that the situation right now was about to turn into an important moment for the plot’s progression.

An invitation for a date.

‘Haha, who am I kidding?’ 

But then he remembered that the girl he was talking to was Hikawa Sayo, the epitome of seriousness and no-nonsense, so he shelved his silly thought back into his silly mind. She would be dedicating most of her time to studies, student council activities, or the band, something like dating would not even cross her mind, he believed.

“Then… Tadano-san, can you accompany me tomorrow, please?”

Yuuto started, “To Edogawa Mus-” as it was his assumption for their destination, but Sayo interrupted him.

With her firm voice, she asserted, “No. It's a date.”

“... Oh.”


	2. Chapter 2

The sunny day and the cool temperature of February was perfect for a date. As he didn't want to make Sayo mad by being late, Yuuto got to the station, their meeting place, thirty minutes early. He went over his outfit if it didn't look tacky, he smelled himself if his cologne was just the right amount, he checked if he had his wallet and phone.

Everything was okay. Nothing had gone wrong yet.

After fifteen minutes of waiting patiently, he saw the girl coming his way and waved at her to catch her attention. Her ensemble composed of a gray turtleneck sweater, a sky-blue cardigan, and a white skirt. As beautiful and stylish as ever, Yuuto thought to himself.

“You're quite early,” Sayo glanced at a wall clock nearby to see if her watch was slow, thinking of the possibility that she was just actually late, but it wasn't the case. “Did I make you wait long?”

“No, I just got here,” he replied casually, taking care not to make it obvious that he was already there for fifteen minutes.

Sayo nodded, “Nevertheless, thank you for being punctual.”

“It's important to be on time,” Yuuto said, as he took a brief gander at his date. “Hikawa-san, you look very charming, like always.”

Surprised by the sudden compliment, Sayo bashfully averted her gaze and twirled a lock of hair with a finger. Not only did he praise her appearance today, he also implied that being charming was her usual state. She peeked back at him and replied, “Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself.”

“Thanks. Shall we go?”

“Mmm.”  
_____

“I'm sorry, Tadano-san.”

Yuuto was walking home Sayo when she suddenly apologized. “Sorry, but what do you mean?” he asked, totally not knowing what the problem was.

“It seems that this outing was more tailored to my taste… but I wasn't really sure what people do on a date, and I'm not too keen on what you would particularly like,” Sayo replied in a low voice.

“I had a lot of fun today,” Yuuto quickly followed up. “Thanks for inviting me.”

The day had quickly gone by as the two had enjoyed themselves with a visit to the zoo, to see all the animals was time-consuming considering that there were lots of different species living there. Sayo had tried to hide her enthusiasm, but Yuuto saw her eyes twinkle every time she saw something she thought adorable, and he thought that was an adorable side to her.

Late in the afternoon, they had stopped by a dog cafe. Yuuto couldn't help but grin when the canine residents flocked over to Sayo, the girl struggling to keep her own smile from showing on her face, absolutely delighted that the dogs took a liking to her. He remembered that she did mention that she was a dog person.

“That is… a relief. I was troubled, that you might have been bored. It would have been meaningless if that was the case.”

“Really, it was fun for me as well, don't worry about it.”

After Yuuto's reply, the two walked without conversation until they arrived at the Hikawa residence. Yuuto felt that there was still something on Sayo's mind, but it didn't seem like he should pry about it himself. Thinking that it was a good time to part ways, he started, “Well then, Hikawa-san. I'll see y-”

“Ah-”

He heard her squeak. There was still something to be done, it seemed. He watched as her expression transform gradually from distressed to determined. The girl finally took out a red box out of her bag.

“It's three days late, but…’ Sayo offered the box to him, “this is for you, Tadano-san.”

Yuuto received the gift with both hands.

“We were busy with the rehearsals for the gig, so I couldn't make it on time for the day itself,” she added.

“This is…” he paused and looked at the chocolate for a quick moment, “handmade? You're awesome as always, Hikawa-san.”

“A good friend of mine, Tsugumi-san, taught me how. It's thanks to her.”

“Tsugumi-san…” Yuuto became a little lost in thought before the light bulb over his head finally lit up. “Ah, Hazawa-san from Afterglow. Then I had better be grateful to her as well, receiving something handmade is great.”

A small smile crept onto Sayo's lips, thinking that her effort didn't go to waste, that her hard work bore fruit.

“Thanks, Hikawa-san, I'll pay this back a month from now. See you later, then.”

When Yuuto bowed and turned to leave, at that moment, Sayo realized that her feelings did not get through. He probably assumed that their date was just a thank-you for his job as Roselia's manager. She knew she was not good at expressing her true emotions, she felt she was the one at fault for giving him the wrong impression. After all, prior to this, she had given him no signals at all, he was not to blame. She berated herself in her mind for not being clear enough, she disliked ambiguity and misunderstandings.

But to her, this was only a minor setback, not something that would discourage her entirely.

“Tadano-san,” she called out.

Upon his name being mentioned, Yuuto looked back to Sayo. Her eyes were resolute, like she was going to war.

“What do you think that chocolate is for?”

“Umm,” he tilted his head as he checked if there was anything interesting about the box. “Giri choco for being your co-worker?”

Sayo slowly shook her head. 

“It's honmei, Tadano-san.”


	3. Chapter 3

I was the first one to arrive at CiRCLE. I would have normally met up with the other Roselia members before heading here, but I wanted to test through some different settings on my pedal effects on one of the songs we were going to perform today, so I went ahead of them. After greeting the staff, I walked over to the studio, but stopped before opening the door.

A gentle melody.

I could hear someone inside playing a song.

It was the amplified sound of just one acoustic guitar, a solo fingerstyle piece.

I had listened to this kind of music before, but it never seemed to make an impact on me.

But this…

It was comforting, calming to the senses. Like the tune was taking you into its arms, easing your tension and anxieties.

I quietly stood in place, a curious eavesdropper to the tender soliloquy of his guitar.

“... Huh?”

But before it was concluded properly, the music abruptly ended with a hard strum across all the strings.

Why?

Is it because he is just checking the sound?

Another tune.

A new song started, as deep in feeling as the previous one, although the current one's theme was more of melancholy. To my ear, I could tell that it was not too mechanically hard to learn and perform, but the great difference he makes is in emotion.

Just like Hina.

I know that I struggle to express myself not just with my words, but also with my guitar. With no book that could perfectly teach to me that approach to playing, I could never learn how to play like that.

An out-of-place sharp pluck of a note occurred, then silence followed.

Why would you end a beautiful melody like that?

I refuse to believe that he had just forgotten the next section.

He is stopping it, although I do not know if he is doing it deliberately or subconsciously.

For what reason?

A third one began. A tune you would want to listen to when you were down. Something that would console you during bad times.

The songs were splendid and had depth, they were not written casually. Although I focus more on the technical aspect of guitar, even I could feel the sentiments he wished to impart through his music.

If my sister’s playing could be likened to elation, to an exhilarating scene of summer joy, this person's playing reminded me of peace and tranquility, the unhurried fall of leaves in autumn.

But why do the songs not end in a pleasant way?

The third silence.

All the songs stopped in the middle of a measure without warning, like a vehicle that ran out of fuel, a swimmer whose leg had cramped.

It’s just suddenly…

Gone.

I twisted the doorknob and the guitarist was someone I was familiar with, although his expression was not the same as I thought it would have been. It was common to see him with a small smile, but that wasn't the case right now.

Just a straight face, his eyes staring blankly into the distance.

I cleared my throat before greeting him with, “Good evening, Tadano-san.”

Tadano Yuuto, a staff member here at CiRCLE. I remember one time when he committed a blunder for a gig's preparation, I had a few words with him. He was genuinely apologetic, he has been scrupulous ever since and made up for it. A polite and accommodating person.

It seems he did play the guitar, I had once bumped into him at Edogawa Music Shop one time and had some idle conversation with him about it while browsing, but this is the first time I heard him actually perform a piece.

Parts of some pieces, at least. 

“Good evening, Hikawa-san, you’re early,” he put the guitar that was on his thigh back onto its stand before continuing, “I was just testing how clean the new speakers are.”

“I see,” replying to him as I looked at his hands then back to his eyes. “May I ask the titles of the songs you were playing?”

“Ah, sorry, you were listening, huh,” he reacted as he unassumingly scratched the back of his head. He sheepishly continued, “Uh, they don’t have titles. I composed those.”

I knew it.

It’s his own unique sound.

But why is he so reticent, so uncertain about it? About the music he himself made? Should you not be proud of something you created with your own effort?

I asked, “Why were you cutting short every song improperly like that?”

His eyes slightly widened, then his gaze dropped to the floor.

“It’s… there’s a small story behind it,” he said in a meek voice. “I'm not sure if it will be interesting to you, in fact, I think you might be disappointed. Do you still want to hear about it?”

“Yes.”

I didn't know that my question out of curiosity would be such a huge turning point in my life.

His aspirations with his friends, their struggle until they broke apart, his wings burning up, and his fall.

It gave me a real perspective of someone whose hard work did not get recognized, someone who was forced to give up.

Him finding a sound he loved, and establishing a new goal.

I had thought today would be an average day.

Instead, I found somebody who resonated with me.

Following that day, the small conversations that I had with him became more frequent, and it also became something I looked forward to. The moments I spend with him, however short, are special to me.

I was looking for my own unique sound, the one that I wanted to play.

But incidentally, I first found a unique sound that I wanted to listen to.

I found my song.


	4. Chapter 4

“And I would like an answer.”

Her gaze was unyielding, she made it clear that she was not making a tasteless Valentine's joke.

Yuuto looked at the red object in his hand, comprehending everything that had happened last night and today. He had turned to leave a few seconds earlier, but he turned back to her.

He calmly asked, “Hikawa-san, do you know how old I am?”

“Yes. Twenty four, six years older than me,” she calmly replied.

“And I'm sure you know what my job is.”

“Roselia's manager.”

“The band is on its way to fame, don't you agree?”

“Yes.”

After staring at each other in silence for a few seconds, Yuuto momentarily closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and heaved a long and audible sigh. He carefully chose his words.

“I'm very sorry, Hikawa-san, but I can't accept this.”

Before he could see how Sayo's expression changed, his gaze went to the side and onto the cold hard ground.

“You're a wonderful person, Hikawa-san, but dating me will become a hindrance to your goal… to Roselia's goal. Right now when the group is a rising artist, this time is very crucial for the band's success. If rumor gets out that one of the band members is dating the manager who's years older than her, it will become an issue, and your popularity will be affected.”

“Disregarding Roselia, do you hold no special feelings for me?”

After hearing her question, Yuuto looked up and saw that Sayo's straight expression had not moved, not even a little.

“I'm sorry.”

The poker face that she had on made it difficult for him to read her emotions. Nevertheless, his answer would not change, so he tried to return the chocolate that was imbued with true feelings. Her hand reached out to take it back, but right before she touched the box, she stopped.

“Just this once,” she whispered, “can you pretend I was dear to you… and call me by my name?”

She was looking at the chocolate as she voiced her request, so she didn't see that he nodded once, ready to comply.

With a gentle and loving tone, he said, “See you later, Sayo.”

After being indulged, she took the box back and stood quietly in place. Without saying anything else, Yuuto bowed and left.

Sayo didn't know what to do, awkwardly staring at the object in her hand until a chilly wind blew and brought her back to reality. Uncertain of how much time had passed, she decided to go inside her house.

“I'm back.”

Hina would unavoidably be the first one to greet her and come see her, but not announcing that you had returned home was not good manners. Sayo wanted to behave like normal and conduct herself properly, to hide what had transpired today.

The footsteps indicated the approach of her twin.

“Onee-chan, welcome ba-...ck.”

Sayo was puzzled as to why Hina paused in the middle of her greeting, it was a first. The older twin was removing her shoes when the younger twin walked up to her.

With her head tilting slightly to one side, Hina asked, “Onee-chan, why are you crying?”


	5. Interlude

The months passed, the normal days continued.

Yuuto was working hard.

With Roselia getting more and more famous each day, he obviously had a lot on his plate.

He was working hard.

He was working a little too hard.


	6. Chapter 6

An unfamiliar ceiling was the first thing he saw. The door was not visible from his point of view, so it would be around that corner on the left. To his right was a woman on a chair, a window behind her.

“Tsukishima-san?” he called out.

He recognized the person, Tsukishima Marina, reading something on her phone. She was a former colleague of his at the live house CiRCLE, and the one who helped him become Roselia's manager. 

“Ah, Tadano-san, you're awake,” Marina remarked as she locked her phone and put it in her pocket. “How are you feeling?”

“Kind of groggy,” Yuuto replied as he massaged his temples. “But I'm okay, I guess.”

“The doctor said it was just the accumulated fatigue from overworking yourself, not getting enough sleep, and skipping meals, so just some bed rest and eating properly will get you back on track.”

“I see…”

Yuuto tried to recall his last memories before waking up in the hospital room. It was a bit vague, but he remembered being dizzy after Roselia's live, went out to get some fresh air, and hearing someone talk to him before finally blacking out.

He bowed his head and said, “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Hm?” Marina reacted with her head askew to the left. “It wasn't me who found you and called for an ambulance, though.”

“Who was it?” Yuuto asked, wanting to thank the person that came to his aid.

Marina took a phone on the table by the bed, pressed the lock screen button, and showed it to Yuuto as she said, “This girl.”

After seeing the display, he closed his eyes and slowly facepalmed. “My bad. I shouldn't have set that as my wallpaper.”

“Oh, but she's so dazzling in this picture, isn't she?”

“Yeah.”

In the photo, a teal-haired beauty holding a guitar had a confident smile on her face as she rocked the last note of the performance of her band.

“As much as I respect you, Tsukishima-san, going through other people's phones is a little…”

“No, no, I wasn't snooping around,” Marina waved her hands as she shook her head. “Someone was calling and I had to answer it since no one else was here. It was about a recording contract with Roselia, but I told them you couldn't speak to them right now since you were hospitalized. They said you could call them back once you're feeling better, and when they ended the call, I saw this by accident,” she reasoned out.

“Oh, I see… Sorry for suspecting you.”

“It's alright.”

Marina handed over the phone to Yuuto. He stared at the wallpaper until the screen automatically timed out and returned to black. 

“Please don't tell her,” he said firmly.

“That you're a stalker of hers?”

“Tsukishima-san…”

Yuuto had half-lidded eyes and a wry smile as a response to Marina’s playful grin.

“I'm joking, I'm joking. So, why don't you tell her that you like her? Age gap? Or is it because of Roselia?”

“Partly, both of those.”

“Oh, so there's even more to it,” Marina’s eyes glittered like a curious cat’s. “Mind telling me?”

“... As long as you don't tell anyone else.”

Using her fingers, Marina zipped up her lips to indicate her silence regarding the matter.

She was Yuuto’s very first superior and the person he regularly consulted early on when he had just become Roselia's manager. He didn't mind satisfying her curiosity if it was just about a fleeting moment in his love life.

“Last February,” he sighed, “she tried to give me honmei choco and wanted an answer.”

“Ohoo~ but I'm guessing you refused, so the next question is why.”

“I told her that it would damage Roselia's rise to fame if word got out that she was dating the manager.”

“What did she say?”

“She asked if I had any special feelings for her, disregarding everything about the band. I simply told her ‘I'm sorry’ without anything else.”

“Without anything else… Ah, how sly of you~” 

Yuuto involuntarily smiled a bit after hearing Marina's keen reaction. She sighed at his good misdirection to avoid lying.

“Would she have noticed if you tried to lie and fake out your feelings?”

He nodded. “I'm not very good at straight-up lying, I think. So yeah, I think so.”

“Mhmm,” Marina crossed her arms and bobbed her head. Her curiosity wasn't sated yet, so she continued, “and so, what's the real reasoning? About why you didn't just take her there.”

“First one. You know that she went to an all-girls’ high school, right?”

“Mmm,” Marina nodded.

“When you think about how I'm the first male that she has worked closely with, you realize that it's some kind of puppy love. That she's mistaking admiration of a reliable older person for affection.”

“But it can properly grow into mature love, don't you think?”

“It can, but it would be taking advantage of her naivete if I received her feelings at that time and only made it grow from there. She has to meet a lot of other people first, to see for herself that I am only one fish in the wide sea. From there, she can decide on which one she wants to catch.”

“You might have lost her forever at that moment you rejected her.”

“It's alright.”

“Really?” she asked in a serious tone. 

“Not really, but it's what I decided, and I'll stick with it,” he answered softly. “And the second one… I want to help her realize her dream. That one time we went out for a drink, do you still remember the story I told you, about my failure?”

To his inquiry, Marina solemnly nodded.

“I don't want her to become like me. I don't want her to have any regrets, and I sure as hell don't want to be the reason that she has them. If dating her has even the smallest chance of jeopardizing her dream, to achieve her “sound” with Roselia and have it heard across the world, then I won't do it. Unlike mine, their wings can fly, and I don't want to be the shackles to hers.”

“If she asks you again when they're already famous, how would you answer then?” Marina asked.

“That's…” Yuuto looked to the side, his expression melancholic. “Too much of a stretch, don't you think? I've already rejected her once, she probably won't ask again.”

“Don't dodge the question~” Marina said in a playful tone. “Just a yes or no.”

With a finger, he scratched his cheek, then after a moment, his hand moved to scratch the back of his head. Hesitating, he slowly answered, “Uh… I don't know.”

“Ah, how stingy.”

“Adults are unfair, I'm sure you know.”

“Yes, yes, the adult life. Don't remind me about my age, please,” Marina said as she made a swatting action with her hand, as if trying to shoo away the years that kept adding to her, causing a chuckle from Yuuto. He looked at the darkness outside the window, taking a peek at the nightscape.

“She's the most hardworking person I know, the kind of person that can do anything she sets her mind to. She was at the top of her class when she graduated high school, is going to a top university, and is part of a band that's already on its way to fame. Not to mention she's a complete beauty as well. She's wasted on someone like me, a person who gave up on his dream, the burnt-out remains of a musician.”

Marina smiled wryly at his self-deprecation, “That kind of negative thinking is bad and you shouldn't say that about yourself, but I can somehow see where you're coming from. She shines so brightly.”

“Mmm. Like a star in the night sky that I can't ever reach. When she gets older, she'll realize that she was wrong about liking me, she'll be glad that I turned her down, and she'll have a laugh while thinking of how idiotic I was to have squandered the chance to have her, haha~”

“Tadano-san,” Marina chuckled a bit, “you're going full adult mode on me here.”

“We're both adults, Tsukishima-san,” Yuuto replied, smiling.

Three knocks on the door and a creaking sound indicated someone was coming in. The nurse appeared from the corner, although her eyes, for a moment, seemed to be looking at something else.

“Tadano-san, how are you feeling? Anywhere that hurts?”

“No, I'm fine.”

Marina stood up and left her seat as the nurse started looking at Yuuto. She waved at her former underling, “I'll visit you again tomorrow in case you haven't gotten out by then.”

“Mmm, I appreciate it. Thanks.”

The door creaked twice as it had been opened and closed. After the nurse finished the routine checkup, she muttered under her breath, “She's pretty beautiful, eh.”

Yuuto glanced at the murmuring nurse and thought, ‘Tsukishima-san? Mm, I guess she's pretty.’


	7. Chapter 7

‘She's appearing on TV so often now.’

On the screen were the vocalist and the guitarist of Roselia, making an appearance on a talk show.

“So, Hikawa-san, now that you’re graduating from university this year, this Valentine's, are you giving a special someone some chocolate?”

“And by that, of course we mean honmei choco!”

The second host made the intent of the question clear so there was no escape.

‘Honmei choco, huh… it's been four years, hasn't it.’

Tadano Yuuto stretched his arms as he waited for his coffeemaker to finish up his daily dose of caffeine. The cameraman zoomed in to the target of the romance-related inquiry, the teal-haired beauty.

“Yes.”

““Ohh!””

The two talk show hosts reacted in unison to the simple declaration. It was an important scoop, as the guitarist had formerly denied any and all rumors of her having a special someone.

“We're going to go out on a limb here and ask,” the host leaned forward. “Can you give us a name?”

“I'd like to keep it private for now, I'm very sorry.”

“Ah, no, no! Just finding out that you're interested in someone is already big for us! Thank you, Hikawa-san. Now, onto Minato-san…”

Yuuto lifted the pot and poured some coffee into his mug. He would usually put milk or creamer in it, but he decided to drink it black today.

‘So she found someone…’

The hosts were firing questions about Yukina's love life, with the cool vocalist skillfully deflecting them and instead shared her love of cats.

‘Congratulations, Hikawa-san.’

He took a bite off his sandwich, but the ham, the vegetables, and the mayonnaise all tasted dull to him. Even his strong black coffee was bland.  
_____

‘I wonder what I should do with my free time.’

It was a weekday, but he didn't have to go to work today. He had many colleagues and partners now. There's an agent that was handling lives and appearances, a record label supporting them that dealt with distribution and sales, a small team that took care of the grunt work, et cetera.

He was in his late twenties now. While pondering his own future, he set his old acoustic guitar on his thigh and his fingers on autopilot. Leisurely playing music was the only hobby of his that had remained constant over the years, although he mainly only did covers of songs.

‘I'm only 28, but I suddenly feel like I'm already withering away like I was 82.’

His life was comfortable. He had a wide apartment, a car, and money in the bank. He had given back to his parents.

“I even wasted cash on something that I won't even be able to use, haha~”

But he felt a bit empty.

“A dream, huh,” he murmured to himself.

He remembered a part of the conversation he had with a teal-haired girl when she found him playing songs to test new equipment.

_“I was in an acoustic band with two of my friends, but… skipping the story of how the three of us met and started writing, we couldn't make it in the end. For almost three years, we sacrificed tons of sleep, good grades, our social lives, money for expenses… Even with all that, we couldn't make it. The wings we tried to make using our songs, they were not good enough, they couldn't soar. The percussionist was the first to give up, then after a short while, the vocalist as well. I couldn’t blame them; our hopes were grim, they wanted a stable future by graduating properly. My flightless wings burned out, I was exhausted with no reward or recognition. With nowhere to go but further down, I gave up as well and continued my university life quietly. Since then, playing the songs I wrote make me bitter, so I just stop, but I at least want to be reminded that I once dreamed, so I play them, even if incomplete. But my motivation to write any more songs was gone with the wind. The ones you heard earlier, they were the last of their kind.”_

_“I see…”_

‘It's too late to continue that, of course. The two of them have their own jobs and families now. I also haven't written anything in years. But…’

_“But when I first heard you play your original songs… I was totally mesmerized. I said to myself, “This is it, this is what the people are looking for.” If I couldn't make it happen with my own music, then I at least wanted to lend a hand to the people who can. I wanted to go help them with it, even if I could only play a small part.”_

_“We do not even perform the same genre of music.”_

_“It isn't the same genre, and yet, it still struck a chord with me. It is still music that I came to love. Doesn't that say volumes about your songs? That even someone like me that mostly listens to mellow stuff still resonated with your music. Have you never experienced that?”_

_“I… might have.”_

‘I'm glad I took this job. I personally got to see the end of the dream I once pursued.’

Like the day he had that conversation with the girl, he abruptly stopped playing in the middle of a measure. Like his past dream, his song was unfinished.

But that was alright.

With a grin, he mused to himself, “I failed, but in consequence, I did something right. Guess I’ll help them out until they become world-famous, heh.”  
_____

Yuuto spent the whole afternoon cleaning his apartment and organizing his things. As he had been living alone for many years now, cooking was no problem for him, he did his best not to skip any dinners. While watching television, he found himself itching for a beer, but his fridge was all out.

“Hmm. Have to go out, then.”

He headed to the nearby convenience store and got himself a few cans. The wind was still a bit chilly, it was a good thing he wore a jacket. He directed his gaze upwards, and because there were no clouds, the stars were all visible, twinkling elegantly in the night sky.

“Reminds me of her,” he remarked to himself. He then quickly shook his head, thinking that it wasn't good to dwell on regrets.

“Let's not get emotional and stuff, I still have to make them world-famous.”

Moving on was the best course of action.

He would just continue his day-to-day life, working hard at his job, sometimes drinking with his co-workers, occasionally taking a trip or two, and relaxing at home, which was his current task.

However, as he neared the entrance of the apartment building he lived in, he thought that life might have had something else in store for him tonight.

There she stood at the doorway, a beautiful teal-haired woman. The moment their eyes met, running away became no longer an option. He slowly walked up to her.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

He wanted to normally greet her with a “good evening,” but the words wouldn't come out, stuck in his throat.

He was not stupid or dense. There was no need to think up any convoluted scenarios about why she was here.

He knew she was here for a reason, he knew what was up. The way she looked at him, it was familiar, but something was different now.

The silence was broken by a somber voice.

“I'd like to come in.”


	8. Chapter 8

Without as much as a word, he led her inside and into his apartment unit. Discouraging her by saying something like, “a woman going into a man's room late at night might be seen badly,” was an idiotic and futile action at that point in time, he thought. He knew her mind was made up, her determination would not waver from the opinions of random bystanders.

“Tadano Yuuto-san, I would like to date you with the intention of marriage.”

They hadn't even made it to the living room yet, where Yuuto thought they could comfortably talk, and the bomb was already dropped.

He turned around to face her. “This is… very sudden,” he softly replied.

Sayo shook her head. “To me, it isn't. I've mulled it over for the past four years.”

He didn't need to confirm it. Ever since he turned her down, for a whole four years, she thought of him.

“It was so hard to pretend, to act normal when we were in close proximity,” she said as she clutched her chest. “I decided one day that I wanted to talk to you again about it. I followed you when you went out to get some fresh air, then, as if you did it on purpose just to avoid talking to me, you suddenly collapsed on me. I didn't have my phone on me at that time, so I had to borrow yours to request for an ambulance.”

Yuuto's eyes slightly widened as he guessed what she saw.

“A picture of me was your wallpaper. A picture of the whole band would not have been suspicious, but it was a picture where the focus was just me. A myriad of emotions were swirling inside me as I made the emergency call. ‘Is this just a joke,’ ‘why did he reject me if I was special to him as well,’ ‘why did he lie to me when I confessed,’ those were some of the questions in my head. But even if I confront you about it, you might just simply lie to me again. So I asked Tsukishima-san for a favor, to ask how you truly felt about me.”

“So she told you about it?”

“No. She kept her promise to you, to not talk to anyone about it.”

“Then why do you know about the promise?”

“Because I heard it in person. I was there, just out of sight.”

_“I'll visit you again in case you haven't gotten out by tomorrow.”_

_“Mmm, I appreciate it. Thanks.”_

_As Marina turned the corner, there stood a teal-haired girl with her eyes downcast. The CiRCLE staff member lightly tapped the shoulder of the girl and wordlessly led her out the door. When they got a few steps away from the room, Marina's companion said, “Thank you, Tsukishima-san.”_

_“I don't know what you're thanking me for, Hikawa-san,” Marina replied as she winked, a mischievous smile on her face._

Yuuto could only heave a sigh full of incredulity.

‘You called me sly, Tsukishima-san, but you're even more cunning… that’s why the nurse was acting that way…’

What the nurse was looking at was Sayo, and the one who she quietly referred to as beautiful was the same person, not Marina.

“So you heard our whole conversation, huh,” he remarked as he scratched the back of his head.

“Yes, and I further learned how kind, how considerate you are…"

She smiled.

"Similar to the first time when you heard us play, your own playing and songs struck a chord with me. The emotion in them was profound, I was taken in. When I heard you talk about your dream, about what you thought of Roselia… after our short conversations, after the times I've spent with you… like a song that I came to love, you, yourself resonated with me. That is why…”

She took out a familiar red box from her shoulder bag and offered it to him.

“I would never give up on you.”

A young girl holding a box of chocolates was superimposed with the view he was seeing right now.

The young girl had grown up into a lovely woman.

_“If she asks you again when they're already famous, how would you answer then?”_

Marina's question came back to haunt him. At this point, an “I don’t know” would not suffice, and putting off the answer would be the worst thing to do to the person in front of him.

‘Would I be able to make her happy?’

He averted his gaze and sent it to the floor. He faintly spoke, “I don’t think I’m worthy. You would be wasted on someone like me.”

In her frustration, Sayo bit her lip and knitted her brow, the grip in her hands tightened, slightly crushing one side of the chocolates she worked so hard on.

“You don’t understand! It was me who didn’t deserve you! Not the me who didn’t understand that emotion was just as important as technique in playing, the me that didn’t know how to express herself and couldn't show her true self to others! Those idiots that rejected your sound, they just didn’t understand the true appeal of your music, your songs! But I do..!”

There was moisture forming at the sides of her eyes. Her grasp on the red box loosened, and it fell to the floor.

“... Even if no one else does, I do. Even if the songs were incomplete, I value the times that I heard you play, I came early to the lives in hopes of hearing you testing the sound with your guitar.”

Just before a tear started to roll down, she wiped it haphazardly with the back of her hand.

“I wanted to understand why I was struggling so much, what exactly was I lacking. Even if it was initially hard for myself to do so, I talked to Hina, to Tsugumi-san, to Yukina-san, to Lisa-san, to Ako-san, to Rinko-san, to many others about my problems. I learned so much from them, and incidentally, I developed better relationships with them, most importantly with my sister. I have so many things to be thankful to you for.”

He smiled, “That’s good to hear, Hikawa-san, but all of that was the result of your own effort.”

“I may still have been stuck in the same place if you weren’t there. You gave me the push I needed. You helped me become a better person. I want to be with you, Tadano-san, I want to do the same thing for you as well. I want to help you regain your confidence about your unique sound, I want you to love writing songs again. Even if you don't become famous, you will always have at least one person who loves your music.”

The expression on Yuuto's face lit up for a moment, but it quickly faded away. Thanks to his past failure, his self-esteem was very low, being pessimistic about himself was his default state. He didn't think he could stand by this person's side, who, to him, was a star that shone brightly in the night sky.

Sayo became worried about his silence.

“Roselia is popular, I'm graduating in a few weeks, I'm no longer naive, and I'm a responsible adult. I worked hard, didn't I..?”

She wanted to become his special someone, and she made sure to fulfill every wish that he had for her. If even that was not enough, she was clueless on what to do next. 

Like waterfalls representing her emotions, the tears slid down her beautiful face, some drops falling onto the Valentine's gift on the floor. She said, with her voice cracking, “I worked hard, I worked really hard..! Because it's the only thing that I know, the only thing I can do… please tell me, will you still not accept me? I'll keep working hard, so you only have to wait… you only have to wait, so please…”

But there was a misunderstanding. She never had to do anything at all to gain his favor.

Yuuto just didn't want to take advantage of a young girl who hadn't seen more of the world. Regarding the first reason he gave Marina on why he didn't accept Sayo, he only wanted Sayo to gain experience and wisdom, to not have any regrets when she chose someone to be with her. All those things he wished for her, those were for her own sake, not his own desire. He had never intended for her to try to become a version of the person that she mistakenly thought he wanted.

Even if she stayed the same, it would not matter.

She would always be special to him.

As Sayo kept crying, Yuuto knelt and picked up the red box. He opened it up and saw the sweets that looked so perfect, one would think they were made by a chocolatier. But knowing that she cut no corners on things like this, he knew it was definitely handmade.

He took a bite, and nodded in approval.

“Mm, you worked really hard on this, it's really great.”

Upon hearing the compliment, Sayo looked up, seeing Yuuto with a smile. He came closer, wiped away her tears, then embraced her tenderly. With a gentle and loving tone, he said, “Thank you, Sayo. I'll gratefully accept this.”

Like the first song she ever heard him perform, his voice saying her name felt so comforting and reassuring to Sayo, her anguish was blown away like leaves in the wind. She slowly put her arms around his back, with a loose grip at first, then squeezed so tightly, like she would never let him go.

“... You play very unfairly, Yuuto-san.”  
_____

“You seem like you’re in a good mood today, Sayo.”

“Yukina-san… is it obvious?”

“Mhm,” Yukina nodded as she glanced sideways to take a gander at the guitarist’s face. “Although you weren’t letting it show in your music, your stress was slowly accumulating, like you were anxious for something. I assumed it was related to the person you planned on giving chocolate, so I didn’t meddle needlessly, but was I right?”

Sayo’s lips slightly curved upward as she replied, “Yes, that's exactly it. I’ll tell you the details later if you're interested.”

A familiar car pulled up and parked near them.

“Good morning, Yuuto-san~”

“Good morning, Tadano-san.”

“Good morning, everyone.”

Lisa and Rinko were the first ones to approach Yuuto, while Ako, ever unchanging, was doing her best to think of a cool and unique salutation for the manager. After Yukina had taken a few steps toward everyone else, she realized that Sayo had not moved at all. The vocalist slightly tilted her head in wonder as she asked, "Aren't you going to greet him? You're usually strict with manners.”

“Ah, there's no need," Sayo replied as she shook her head. "I was just with him earlier, I had already greeted him.”

One of Yukina's eyebrows rose. It was only eight in the morning, and all the Roselia members were following the same schedule today, unless something had changed specifically just for the guitarist.

As Sayo crossed her arms, an object on one of her fingers glittered from the warm rays of the morning sun. Seeing that, Yukina got the answer to what she was pondering in her mind and smiled.

“It looks like I’m going to hear a very interesting story later, although it seems the surprise has been spoiled a little,” Yukina chuckled.

“Congratulations, Sayo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the very first fanfiction I have ever written, so please bear with me if there are tons of mistakes. I was never satisfied with it even up to posting, but if I don't post it before February ends, I might never post it at all.
> 
> Writing this made me realize how hard it is for writers to expound on situations, to make conversations flow fluidly, to make scenarios that progress the plot at just the right speed, to not make a boring pile of garbage, et cetera. 
> 
> Some questions you may have and their answers:  
> 1\. How was this story conceived?  
> \- in Sayo's 1* card, the 2nd story is about Sayo going to Edogawa Music Shop and meeting New Staff by coincidence. The conversation that occurs is about New Staff-san's inability to play any instrument and was there at the shop just because. Instead of New Staff not playing any instrument, I tried giving him a background.
> 
> 2\. Doesn't Sayo address her bandmates by their last names?  
> -Yes, but the last chapter is already four years in the future where she has a closer relationship with all of them, and so she is now on first-name basis with them.
> 
> 3\. Who do you ship Sayo with?  
> -Tsugumi.
> 
> 4\. Who's your best Bandori girl?  
> -Sayo. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading this random piece of work I did, comments and criticism are greatly appreciated.


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